Today Brian & I went to Kananakis for our first hike of the season. It was a little rainy out, but we had got a new carrier for Miles & we were really wanting to try it out. So we packed a lunch & hit the road. 10 Things I Think About When I Hike.
1. My calves when I was in college. They were definitely my best feature. I am mad at myself for letting them go. Haha! That sounds funny. But I am aware of them when I am going up hills or stairs & I wish they were still in their prime.
2. Heart Disease. I think about how I never want it.
3. Quiet. I don't listen to an iPod when I hike. It's nice to just have peace & quiet. Or sometimes I talk to Brian. But I like hearing what's going on around me. I like hearing the squirrels & birds. I like the sound of the wind. I'd be bored listening to those sounds in my home (I actually bought one of those nature CD's once) but I love them when I am hiking.
4. I think about moving somewhere warm, where hiking was a possibility all year round. I try to figure out where that would be, but I cannot seem to find the perfect place. I guess Canada is just where I am suppose to be.
5. Hiking trips I have taken in the past. I once hiked 36km in Ujung Kulon (a rainforest in Indonesia). It was hot & muggy. I was soaked. But I had the best sleep of my life that night & was surprisingly not sore for the hike back to the bus in the morning. Today I thought a lot about Miles' first hiking trip last year. He was 3 months old & slept the whole way. We went 12km that day, it was so special.6. My bed. And how good it will feel when I get into it after the hike.
7. Kids. I think about them a lot. Do I want more? Or am I happy with one? I think about how lonely Miles would be if he were an only child, but also about the opportunities he could have if it remains just him & us.
8. Discovering an abandoned log cabin. I always wish that would happen. And that it would be full of some old trappers things. It would be so cool but also so creepy. When we were little we use to go visit my uncle in Yoho National Park (where he was a warden) & we would walk along the old CP railway line & pick up things that had fallen off the rain & collect insulators. We found some vintage CP Rail china once, so cool.
9. A Maniac running around in the woods. My parents know some people who were hiking in California & some crazy man jumped out & attacked them. True story. Anyway, I worry about crazy people more than I do about bears. But in my head, Brian always saves the day & we tie the dude to a tree & go to get help.
10. "Don't look at the ground." I say this over & over in my head. I have to remind myself of this simple hiking rule or I am sore as heck the next day.
4 comments:
Wow, Haley. Great blog. You make me want to try this "hiking" thing... I've never been one for most physical activity, but it's been our resolve, since we moved to this beautiful area, to be more active. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thoughts:
Miles-- I know that if anyone offered you anything in exchange for Miles you would pick him. I imagine this is how he would feel about a sibling--nothing else you could offer him would compare.
Old Cabins--We found one at a friends cabin once, out in the woods. It had an old single bed with springs sticking out, and jars and jars of misc. canned goods, all creepy and unrecognizable. So weird.
On the side of siblings: My kids are best friends. They refuse to sleep apart. They always have a partner in crime, and someone who will commiserate with them. When they are at home, they play together, leaving me time to do other things without feeling like I'm ignoring them. Yes, they fight. But this helps them for future relationships. They also have a personal historian - siblings know each other best.
That being said, while I cherish the memories I have of my sister growing up, I no longer have a sister due to her "issues" -- she has bipolar disorder and refuses medication. I miss that. Jealous that you have such great sisters!
When Kase was 2, and I was pregnant with Anna, I really didn't think I could possibly love another child -- or have the same connection with another child. Boy, was I wrong. The heart is an amazing muscle: it can expand to fit all your children, and still leave room for more love.
I love this! I also love hiking, and I'm so glad to hear you take Miles with you. I remember packing my niece into a carrier for a 10K when she was just a little thing. We all took turns carrying her and her brother all day.
I look forward to hiking with Otto this summer too.
About the sibling thing: no other experience is better than being able to rely on your siblings later in life. They will always be there for you as family and friends.
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